At Enviro Friendly World, we’ve worked very hard to provide consumers with information on the latest and best solar hot water technologies.

Why Solar Hot Water?

Whether you want to save the environment, or save money, you can do BOTH. A well-chosen and designed solar hot water system, installed and used the cleverest way possible, can slash your hot water bills by 70, to more than 90%. In an age when energy costs are outrunning inflation, investing a bit more in a solar hot water system in Canberra will save you more and more every year.

Two Different Categories.

There are two fundamentally different technologies available to deliver Canberra consumers economical solar hot water. On-the-roof systems, and heat pumps.

1. On-The-Roof Solar Hot Water Systems.

These systems have collectors on the roof to collect the radiant heat of the sun. They include the traditional flat-plate collectors that have been around for 50 years, and the more advanced evacuated tube systems (which have been on the market since 1975!).

Doing our due diligence nearly many years ago, we decided that evacuated tubes were clearly the better system, promoting what has become the Hills Esteem range. We helped pioneer their widespread adoption. Click to learn more about the Evacuated Tube solar hot water system….

2. Heat Pump Solar Hot Water Systems.

The second solar hot water technology is the heat pump. They have been on the Australian market for over 20 years- a well-kept secret from most Australians!

A heat pump solar hot water system is very clever. Just like a reverse-cycle air conditioner heating a room in winter, they use a little bit of electricity to collect a lot of heat that the sun has put into the atmsphere.

They produce similar savings to most on-the-roof systems, but are cheaper to instal because nothing has to be installed on the roof. The connections are the same as an old-style electric storage hot water system.

Of course, they are recognised by all Australian Governments for solar hot water financial incentives.

In Canberra, heat pump solar hot water has been employed for over 20 years. (I have one on my own home- John Payne.)

Which Solar Hot Water Technology Is Best?

With solar hot water systems, like many other things, it’s a case of ‘horses for courses’. Both systems reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

A heat pump is the best choice when

a roof-mounted system is not practical

where cost is critical,.heat pumps cost a lot less to instal, but more to run.

A roof-mounted system is best when

you’re going to be in the home a long time

when you have a large family and/or lots of visitors

when you use a lot of hot water

when your electricity is expensive

In other words, if we can look at whole of life costs (purchase cost, installation cost, maintenance cost, energy (money) savings and service lifetime), a roof-mounted system is the answer.

Our experience has been that evacuated tubes are the best choice- a choice that has been made by many Canberra institutions we have worked with, including CSIRO, ADFA, Canberra Southern Cross Club, Canberra Institute of TAFE (Reid) and Gungahlin College, not to mention may hundreds of Canberra families.

How do you ensure you get the BEST solar hot water deal?
Get multiple, obligation-free quotes. It’s easy…

How long is a piece of string? It’s hard to say, because every household is different. A different number of people, different shower lengths, hot vs. cold wash, standard vs. low-flow showerheads. All these factors can make a big difference in how much you’ll save. It’s probably fair to say that the average family of four switching from an old electric to a new solar hot water system will save over $700 a year.

Of course, whatever saving they make is dramatically rising each year as energy prices head north! Oh, we forgot to mention… you’ll also save around 3-4 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year going into the atmosphere! That’s making a great contribution towards Canberra’s target to reduce our carbon footprint.